Poultry and rabbit cage



C; B. WOODWORTH POULTRY AND RABBIT GAGE May l, 1928.

Filed March 12, 1927 INVENTOR CZB. Vl oovlufol'lh BY .QAJLSCM ATTORNEYPatented May 1, 1928.

UNITED STATES CLARENCE B. WOODWORTH, OF JACKSON, CALIEORNIA..

POULTRY AND RABBIT CAGE.

Application filed March 12, 1927. Serial No. 174,978.

This invention relates to improvements in cages in which live rabbits,poultry and similar game are placed in quantities and kept therein whilebeing marketed. Such cages are usually initially filled with the gamewhich are removed as sold by opening the lid or the door of the cage'andinsertinga hand or arm. As long as the cage is substantially full it iseasy to catch any individual member of the game, but as their numberbecomes lessened and the space for their movement in the cagecorrespondingly increases, it becomes very hard to catch the remaininganimals or birds, since when the hand of the operator is insertedthrough the door the occupants fly or move from one point to another ofthe cage in an endeavor to avoid being caught.

The principal object of my invention therefore is to provide a cage forthe above purpose so constructed that as the number of occupants in thecage is lessened the space occupied may be instantly and correspondinglylessened and the occupants drawn toward the exit opening, so that saidoccupants cannot move around freely when it is desired to catch them,and no time is lost in performing this operation.

This valuable feature may be incorporated in a cage regardless of thesize of the same, so that it is possible to use a much larger cage thannow practicable, since the dimensions of ordinary cages are limited atleast to the length of the human arm, since otherwise it would beimpossible to catch the last remaining occupants in the cage except byaccident.

My improved easy catching arrangement may be also readily installed inold cages. The cages are also so constructed that they may be stackedone upon the other and may be left in that position when the game isbeing kept therein, and removed therefrom when necessary.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensivedevice and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposefor which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of ref erence indicate correspondingparts in the several views:

F 1g. 1 1s a perspective elevation of my 1111- proved cage with the nearside partly omitted to better show theinterior struc- I ture. v

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the cage on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawings, the cage itself is a rectangular structure of suitabledimens'ions'and comprises essentially a bottom member 1, sides and therear end preferably formedof vertical longitudinally spaced rods 2, anda top constructed of longitudinally and transversely spaced slats 3. Anyother freely ventilated construction may however be used if desired. Thefront end of the cage is also formed partly of vertical rods 4-, whichhowever are cut away in places to form openings of necessary sizenormally closed by'separate doors 5'. These doors extend from the bottomof the cage upwardly a certain distance and are disposed in spacedrelation on each side of the central transverse plane of the cage.

Mounted in the cage for sliding movement lengthwise thereof is atransverse partition 6 of suitable construction, which is supported andguided by longitudinally extending guide cleats 7 mounted at the bottomand along the sides of the cage. Secured to and projecting from theforward face of the transverse partition is a centrally disposedvertical partition 8, which adjacent its outer end is provided with anupstanding pin 9 or the like which projects between an adjacent pair ofthe top slats 3 so as to form additional guide means for the partitionstructure. The extent of the longitudinal partition is such that whenits outer end is moved to adjacent the front end of the cage (where itwill of course lie between the doors) said partition, together with thetransverse partition; form small cage compartments with the adjacentWalls of the cage itself, of a size suflicient to hold at the most onlya few rabbits or birds. When the sliding partition structure is thusmoved therefore it is an easy matter upon opening either door andinserting the hand to catch any of the game in the correspondingcompartment, since such game cannot escape toward the unoccupied portionof the cage rearwardly of the transverse partition. When the cage isinitially full the partition structure is moved to the rear end of thecage, so that the entire area of the cage is then available for use. Asthe game inthe iii cage becomes depleted the partition structure isgradually shifted the necessary distance toward the front end so as tolimit the space for the movement of the game, while any of them arebeing caught. Between catching birds however the partition may ifdesired be again retracted so that the game may then have all possiblefreedom of movement.

lVhile diiferent devices for shifting the partition may be employed, Ipreferably makeuse of the following means The bottom of the partitionstructure is provided with a longitudinally extending substantiallyrectangular passage 1t) tornn ing a guide and locating means for a flatbar 11 whose length is not less than that of the age. This bar is freelyslid-able through the passage and on its inner end has an upstandingflange 1:2 to prevent the passage of that end of the bar beyond theadjacent end of the passage. The bar projects through and beyond the'lront ot' the cage between the doors and at its forward end has asuitable handle means 13 thereon. The bar is provided at spacedintervals with orifices ll adapted to be selectively engaged with avertical pin 15 mounted in coni'iection with the partition structur andprojecting upwardly into the passage 10. The width of this passage issuch as to hold the bar against undesired lateral movement. The heightof the passage however is such as to enable the bar to he tiltedlaterally as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, so as to enable the pin 15it) be diseup-aged from any orifice in the bar. This permits the barwhile being, maintained in its tilted position to be movedlongitudinally without moving the partition. so as to enable anotherorifice 14 to engage the pin 15. This enables the bar to be maintainedinside the cage for the major portion of its length at all times whennot actually being used. and irrespective of the position of thepartition; and avoids the inconvenience which would arise if the barnecessarily projected a considerable distance from the front of thecage.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I haveproduced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invent-ion as set forth herein.

.Vhile this specification sets forth in delail the present and preferredconstruction oi. the device. still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A cage comprising an enclosing structure. transver ely spaced doorsin one end thereof. a transverse longitudinally movable partition in thestructure. and a longitudinal partition member projectinc from the sideof the transverse portion facing the doorend of the structure anddisposed in a transverse plane. between the doors.

2. A cage con'iprising an enclosingstructure having a door in one end. atransverse longitudinally movable partition in the structure. alongitudinal shitting bar projecting from one end of the cage. :1 barguiding member provided with the partition and arranged to permit oflimited vertical movement of the bar, and a pin projecting upwardly fromthe guide member. said bar havinga plurality of longitudinally spaced,oritices to selectively receive the pin.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

CLARENCE B. WOODWOR'IH.

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